The Slytherin Locket
by phantomhivess
Summary: Draco helps Hermione break out from Azkaban, and they get sent back into 1942 to stop Tom Riddle from rising. Tomione AU. Slightly dark Hermione.
1. Take Me Away

**The Slytherin Locket - Prologue**

 **By phantomhivess**

 _Azkaban_. The vile word lingered on her tongue, burning it, as if it was venomous. Her brunette curls, which cascaded down her back, were very untamed and filthy. She couldn't have even called it "brunette" anymore, since it resembled the color of…charcoal. Yes, that was the right word to describe it.

Her pale skin glistened under the moon light that somehow reached her prison cell. Hermione trailed her soft fingers over her battle scars that never healed. She read out the words "mudblood" that still seemed horrendous to her, even after a year.

It had been a year, since she lost everything. A year, since she had stayed in Azkaban as a prisoner, thanks to Voldemort. Harry was nowhere to be found, and nobody dared to utter the name of the Boy Who Lived.

She believed he would come back. She had believed in him since first year, when he mumbled a quiet apology to her because of his behavior. She had believed him, even when no one else did, when he said he didn't put his name in the Goblet of Fire. She had trusted him, when he said Voldemort was back and killed Cedric Diggory. And now, she believed that he would save her and that together they would re-build Order of Phoenix.

A year ago, she might have scoffed at the possibility of being stuck in Azkaban. Hermione would have said that the future was bright – she would win the battle, finish Hogwarts, get a job in Ministry, and settle down with Ron. The dreamy scenarios of what could she have had kept repeating in her head, but she knew it would never happen.

Hermione felt stabbing pain and she clutched her head, as if it would bring any relief to her. The dream managed to turn into a horrendous nightmare in a second. It was happening again. Tears were welling up in her eyes, threatening to fall from her eyes any second. She felt that she would pass out soon under the tremendous pain. She tried to focus on a happy memory of her, Ron and Harry, but she couldn't hold onto it long enough.

It felt as if all her joyful memories were slipping away from her and dread started filling her fragile body instead. She couldn't do this anymore. She wanted to scream, thrash and shout, but only a sob escaped her mouth. She sank to her knees, placing her head against the cool wall. There was nothing left for her anymore.

* * *

"Granger…" The words seemed so foreign to her, who was Granger? Hermione Granger was the brightest witch of the century, a member of golden trio, a loyal friend to Harry Potter, and the destroyer of horcruxes. She doesn't exist anymore though – she was no one.

"Granger!" The harsh voice seemed to get persistent, and she opened her eyes to see who it was. Before she could comprehend who was standing in front of her, her magic pushed the person away from her, making the person stumble across the room. Alarmed and horrified, she scrambled to rise from the floor. Even though there were wards against magic in Azkaban, her magic was becoming accustomed to it and had already accumulated to some point. It could break through the wards slightly. She needed a little more time, just a little more time, so she could fully break it down.

"What the heck, you mud- Granger!" He screeched with disbelief, staring at her wide-eyed. She gasped at his appearance: a pale, sneering face, blue eyes and platinum blond hair – the traits of a Malfoy. What was Draco Malfoy doing on a lone island with dementors, standing in her prison cell?

"M-Malfoy!" The words came out forced, as she hadn't used her voice in a long time, "What are you doing here, Draco?! If Voldemort finds you here…"

Draco decided to join Harry's side at the last minute during the battle, which helped him gain the upper hand.

Draco changed sides at the last minute during the battle, helping Potter to gain an upper hand, but it still resulted in his disaster. Even though Draco was there to help him and attended some meetings of Order of Phoenix, she still didn't trust him as much as she trusted the other members.

"Merlin, what's that awful smell in this room?" He pinched his nose in a disgusted manner, "You should consider taking a bath, Granger."

"Even though I don't have a wand, I can think of multiple other ways to take care of your attitude." She sneered at him quietly, as she crossed her arms over her chest, "I doubt the reason you are visiting me now is because you miss me."

"You can call it your lucky day, because I'm breaking you out." He said casually, as he tugged her arm towards him.

"Why do you think I'll come with you? You could have switched sides again, and could have followed Voldemort's orders!" She screamed at him, as she tried to swat his hand away from her.

"Fuck, Granger, you're going to attract the Dementors – if they're not coming already, that is." He whispered harshly, as he tried to silence her. The dementors weren't under the Ministry's control anymore, they were simply under the influence of the Dark Lord. If they found them here, let's say he'd earn himself a cell next to Hermione.

The temperature dropped drastically in the room – it was getting so cold that all Hermione could do was clutch her body tightly to herself. The painful headaches were coming back and her sanity was slowly crumbling. She even forgot the presence of a Malfoy in the cell, as she slid down the wall and began rocking back and forth.

Draco's eyes widened in realization, and he started fumbling in his pockets to find his valuable possession that could save them now. He finally found the enchanted hourglass that he was searching for; it was a time-turner created by Theodore Nott.

"Granger, take my hand!" His words echoed in the room, but it's as if she didn't hear anything. But she forced herself to collect her thoughts and focus on something that made her happy, for one last time. She finally understood how Draco was going to break her out – by the use of a time-turner, but wasn't the last functioning one destroyed by Voldemort? Now she had no time to think and dive into logical explanations. As the dementors began filling the room, she grasped the hand of Draco tightly and looked at him with determined expression. Just one last time, she would fight. One last time, she would try to save Harry and Ron.

With that, Draco turned the time-turner, sending them back to 1942.


	2. Forbidden Forest

**The Slytherin Locket – Chapter 2**

 **By phantomhivess**

 _Close your eyes._

The soft, soothing voice was trying to lure her back into sleep, but Hermione began blinking her eyes open. She began uncontrollably twitching her body, as if she was trying to re-gain the control and stop her inner voice from speaking.  
Breathe.  
Taking a huge gulp of oxygen, she sat up in an alarmed state. She looked around and analyzed her surroundings, coming to a conclusion that she wasn't in Azkaban anymore – she was in Forbidden Forest. As Hermione began remembering the events that took place a few hours ago, she slowly stood up from her spot. She remembered how Malfoy decided to "break her out" of her cell and use a time-turner. But now she didn't even know where she was, or what year it was. Talking about Malfoy, where was he? She looked around frantically and she wanted to scream for him, but she knew it wasn't a good idea.

"He didn't even give me my wand back…" Hermione mumbled, as she let out a long, drawn-out sigh. Technically, she wasn't completely defenseless; she knew quite a few wandless spells and her magic has become stronger than it was in the past.

A black, skeletal, bat-winged horse interrupted her train of thoughts, as it appeared in front of her. She let out a gasp, since she recognized the creature from one of the books she read while studying at Hogwarts. Hermione took slow steps towards it and she raised her hand to pet him, but he avoided her by jerking his head towards a different direction. The Thestral analyzed the witch for a few minutes, and when he finally considered her harmless enough, he let out a happy grunt.

"How funny, I never believed Harry when he said that Thestrals pulled the carriages from Hogsmeade Station…Now I finally see them myself." Hermione was talking to herself again. It became her habit in Azkaban to stop herself from becoming trapped in her head. Hearing her voice reminded her that she was still alive and sane. But how sane did she manage to remain, that was the real question.

"Could you help me locate a person in the forest, please?" She questioned softly, as she slid her hands through his fur. The Thestral seemed to understand her, and he nodded his head in agreement. Without wasting another second, he began walking towards North.

* * *

When Hermione asked a Thestral for help, she never told him to bring her to find five-cloaked figures in the forest-opening. As she turned around to throw a questioning glance at him, he seemed to disappear into thin air. Why did he decide to bring her here? Without wasting time, she ducked behind a bush nearby to make sure nobody saw her. She glanced out of her hiding spot, trying to analyze the scene in front of her. The people were wearing loose black cloaks that covered most of their face, but she could still make out some features. There were about four of them, so if anything happened, Hermione could take them on.

 _Wait. There were only four._

When she came here, there were five people – where did the fifth person disappear?  
"Would you like to enlighten us about your identity, and the reason you are intruding upon our meeting?" Even though the stranger's words were spoken with cold formality, his voice seemed strangely melodic to Hermione. She could listen to him for hours and never get bored of it. She turned around, expecting someone to stand behind her, but there was no one. Then she realized that the question wasn't directed at her – the cloaked figure was speaking to a person laying in the middle of the four people. As she craned her neck to get a better view, she caught a glimpse of platinum blond hair, and she instantly knew what was going on. Draco landed on the meeting of these people.

 _Fuck. What was she going to do now?_  
"I-I'm a student of H-Hogwarts, and I was supposed to collect some…herbs for my assignment." Draco was stammering, as the dark figure pushed the tip of his wand towards his throat. When the stranger heard his answer, he threw his head back and let out a chuckle.

"Such a well-constructed lie, though I believe you were following us here." He replied sarcastically, as he began trailing his wand over Draco's body, "Are you one of Dumbledore's agents?"

Draco almost choked on his own saliva, as he began frantically shaking his head, "What the fuck? Of course not! I wouldn't be that old cretin's spy-"

"Cruciatus."  
Only one word was uttered, and he started screaming and trashing under the roaring pain. He was placed so many times under this curse by Voldemort, but he would never get used to this dreadful feeling.

Hermione covered her mouth, trying to surpress her gasp. Forgotten, gruesome memories that she locked away started resurfacing, and her breathing became fast and uneven. All she could hear was Draco's screaming and pleading, and she clutched her head tightly, as if it would make the his screams stop.

"Accio wand!" Her words surprised her, but she didn't try to suppress them. A vine wood wand slid out of Malfoy's pocket and with a lightning bolt speed, it appeared right in her hand. She felt the familiar warmth of magic, and she slashed through the air happily. It didn't go unnoticed by the strangers, though.

"Abraxas, I believe you can take care of the problem." The same dark voice that Hermione grew to like spoke with a tint of authority.

"Yes, my Lord." The figure bowed towards him, and he took his hood off, showing his blond hair. Hermione suddenly came to a realization – it was Draco's grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy, who was probably a student in Hogwarts at around 1940s. That simpleton, halfwit dolt made them land in 1940, about fifty years ago into the past.

"Confringo!" Hermione shouted loudly, as she pointed the wand towards the cloaked figures torturing Draco. A huge explosion took place in front of her, and she hoped that Draco was alright. Her calculations and analysis was always right – the spell wouldn't touch him.

"Not so fast, girlie." A voice behind her taunted her, as if he was provoking her. She whipped around quickly to come face to face with an eighteen-year-old boy, who had short, thick, shining black hair, strong jaw, and heavy-lidded eyes, which seemed to see right through her soul. A boyish grin was playing on his lips, as he winked at Hermione.

"I've been watching you ever since you got here." He replied casually, while playing with her locks, "Don't worry, I'll make sure not to manhandle a pretty girl like you. Name's Lestrange, remember it." Before he could finish his sentence, Hermione pointed her wand at him with a shrug, "Sorry, Lestrange, but I think you're the one who's getting manhandled today."

Lestrange's eyes widened in alarm, as he realized what she was about to do, but he didn't have enough time to react.

"Alarte Ascendare!" Hermione shouted, and Lestrange was blasted high in the air. Then she quickly started running towards the place where Draco was laying, as Lestrange's and Abraxas's friends seemed to disappear. But she knew they were probably somewhere around this area, waiting for the right time to strike. Dark, onyx eyes followed her movements throughout the forest, and a smirk appeared on his thin lips.

"My Lord, would you like us to…?" Avery trailed off, as he appeared next to the Dark Lord.

"No, let them go. I'm sure we'll be seeing them…soon." Tom Riddle said quietly, as he stared at the brunette girl helping up the blonde imbecile from the grass.

"But my Lord, are you-"

"Are you going to question my commands, Avery?" His malicious gaze was redirected at his follower, as he gripped his wand tightly in his hand.

"O-Of course not."

Hermione Granger apparated away to Hogwarts grounds with Draco Malfoy in 1942, October 7th.

* * *

 _Feedback is appreciated. Do you like the story so far? What suggestion would you give me?_


	3. Slithering

**The Slytherin Locket - Chapter 3**

 **by phantomhivess**

"You thickhead moron, I can't believe you didn't even bother to check how the time-turner worked!" Hermione screeched at Draco, as she jabbed the tip of her wand in his ribs, "You could have gotten us killed!"

Draco pushed her away roughly, and he sneered at her, "If Potter hadn't asked me for this, you would have been left to rot in Azkaban."

Hermione froze in her steps, a painful doubt filling her soul. She could barely utter his name, "H-Harry?"

He let out a long sigh of despair, as he moved the blonde locks that fell in his face, "Look, Granger, the future didn't hold anything for the Order anymore. Voldemort managed to eliminate most of the members. And-"

"Where is Harry?" She asked as calmly as she could, staring at the grass beneath.

"I can't tell you that-"

"Where is Harry." She questioned him again, clutching her wand so tightly that her hand turned white.

"Granger, I-"

"Where is he?!" Her usual calm deserted her, and she gave a piercing cry and the magic that left her fingertips managed to electrify her locks.

"He has been captured, so time-travelling was our last option." Draco broke the silence finally, and he awkwardly started fumbling in his pockets.

The sorrow that she had been hiding for years grew each passing second in her. She inhaled sharply, trying to compose herself, but her bottom lip started quivering. Draco noticed that she had to bite her lip in order to stop the tears from rolling out, so he took one step forward to comfort her, "Hey, hey, Granger, don't start crying a river now. At least you didn't land on the Dark Lord, did you?"

Hermione shook her head, trying to suppress the grin that was threatening to break out, even though she was crying. Draco awkwardly patted her back, as if he was trying to comfort her. After all, he had no idea how to console a sobbing girl.

* * *

Armando Dippet was sipping on his jasmine tea, as he went through his paper-work. He would read at least two or more documents and then go to sleep. Yes, he could call it a day soon. He yawned, putting his favorite pair of slippers already and moving out of his chair. Though he never expected two people to trespass his room at this hour.

He blinked his eyes a few times, as he stared at them, "How may I help you?"

Hermione fumbled to correct her hair and clothes, trying to make herself as presentable as possible, while Draco was staring off to the space. Finally, he let out a long, drawn-out sigh as his face turned serious. He started speaking with such formality that made Hermione surprised, "We sincerely apologize for requesting a meeting on such a short notice, however we have some…important information for Dumbledore."

Dippet leaned back against his chair, while looking at Draco, "What kind of information, if I may ask?"

"Regarding Grindelwald." Draco lied smoothly, while faking a sincere look on his pale face, "We need to talk to Albus as soon as possible."

Hermione could only stare at Draco, as a small smirk played on her full lips. He had all the attributes of a Slytherin – he was charming, deceptive and persuasive. He can fake sincerity easily, and try to make himself seem different than what he is in the eyes of the other people. Though he never tried to hide his true self with Hermione; he was always straightforward with his intentions and thoughts. Well, at least, mostly. They were very thankful that Dippet arranged a meeting with Dumbledore as fast as he could, while mumbling that the professor would be off to Germany quite soon.

* * *

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, as he observed the two time-travelers, searching for their eyes. Though Hermione knew that it wasn't even needed – he must have used legilimency already, as she felt someone meddling in her mind gently. She looked up, meeting his blue eyes, as if she was daring for him to say something. Malfoy simply placed his arms behind his head, trying to make himself comfortable.

"Well, Hermione Granger, it is a pleasure to see you again. Same goes to you, Mr. Malfoy." After a long period of silence, Dumbledore finally spoke up, correcting his glasses, "The history is certainly altering and re-writing itself, since you two got here. Meddling with time has-"

"Extreme consequences, we already know that, professor." Hermione cut him off, as she remembered some information from the books she has read, "Though it was the last option. The future doesn't exist anymore. It's full of unspeakable crimes, wrongdoing and villainy. The Ministry of Magic collapsed, it doesn't even exist anymore. The future is only about the reign of…dark people." She tried to choose her words correctly, as she didn't want to give many details. She was sure he wouldn't meddle that much to see everything.

"It's not like he's not here in present…" Draco mumbled, finally joining the conversation. Hermione kicked him in the ribs, making him grunt, "Granger, I swear-"

While the two were arguing, Dumbledore simply went through the memories, feeling the warmth and love radiating from them. He saw a seventeen-year-old boy with round glasses and a boyish grin, and the memories of the first year at Hogwarts. Though that was unnecessary information at the present. He kept observing the memories, as he flicked through them quite fast, until he came across something that caught his mind.

After a few seconds of adjusting, the silhouettes started taking shape in his mind, until they finally became discernible from each other. He could smell the aroma of scented candles from afar, but he couldn't exactly tell what it was. Dumbledore could see Hermione pressing against the dirty wall in the dark room, as she frantically mumbled out words while her wand was glowing. She could feel something sinister lurking there, something that wanted to steal her away.

Her instincts started to kick in, as she felt adrenaline rushing through her whole body. Her legs twitched, trying to fight the impulse to dash through the shadowed corridors to go back to safety. But she knew it was too late – he found her. Her wild curls were a mess, her clothes were torn in different directions and her feet were bare. Dumbledore felt her growing fear with each passing second, and he wanted to approach the girl, to tell her that everything would be alright, though he knew it was just a memory. All he could do was stand and watch.

"Hermione…" The deep voice hissed like a snake, though making each letter audible. Dumbledore finally saw him – he had a pale face with snake-like slits for nostrils and familiar, cold blue eyes that flashed red. Though before he could continue watching, he was harshly pushed out of Hermione's mind.

Back to the present, Hermione was voraciously taking gulps of oxygen. She could feel the sweat drench her skin, as she listened to the screams and hissing that vibrated in her ears.

Draco's thoughts were knocked aside, as he focused on the girl sitting next to him. Her panic attacks were starting again, he definitely knew it. He clenched his fists, as he stared at Albus with a hint of scorn, "Granger has been through a lot, professor. Please refrain from going through her memories, as it will cause unfavorable consequences."

Dumbledore stared at the two, as he nodded his head in an understanding manner. He was caught off the guard, as he didn't expect Hermione to know occlumency so well. At least, she knew enough to push him out of her mind. Hermione was shocked too, since she never attempted to push him out. Her mind was in constant terror at Azkaban. She would always wallow in her self-pity, as madness found its way inside her. She understood that anybody could penetrate her mind . She wasn't Hermione Granger anymore, she was a lost cause.

"Very well." He finally mumbled, as he began stroking his chin in a thoughtful manner, "You will need to be sorted in the Houses, since you will be staying here for a long time. We also need to come up with your names, background and reasons why you're attending Hogwarts."

Hermione grasped her arm instinctively, where the words 'mudblood' were embedded. The letters were still bright red – she knew it would never heal, and they would haunt her for her whole life. Her breathing started speeding up again, and Draco took notice of it. He sighed, as he leaned across and placing his hand on her shoulder softly, while grimacing a little. She managed to push the fear away, and focused on her memories of Harry and Ron. Harry and Ron. She chanted the words in her mind, and she finally managed to calm down gradually.

"Both of you used to be classmates in Durmstrang. When Grindelwald began rising, you left the school and transferred to Hogwarts, where you can safely practice your magic." Dumbledore finally said, staring at both of them.

"B-But sir, Durmstrang never accepted muggleborns." Hermione finally croaked out, as she traced her fingers over her scar.

"Thus, you will be a half-blood, Miss Granger." Hermione finally nodded, as she remembered that Tom Riddle was a half-blood as well. If he found out that she was a muggleborn, he would want nothing to do with her, and her plans would fail once again. She needed to get as close to him as possible. When he would be at her mercy, she would torture him slowly, as his screams would fill her ears. Hermione snapped out of her faze, as she shook her head, trying to get rid of the unwanted sadistic thoughts.

"I believe you are a Gryffindor in the future, Hermione?" He asked, while he was going through some papers.

"Yes, professor."

"Then I will place you in Gryffindor again-" Before Albus could finish his sentence, Hermione cut in, "No, professor, I want to be in Slytherin."

Hermione knew she would disappoint Dumbledore by saying that, but there was no other way. She didn't want to hinder her progress with the Dark Lord – she needed to get to him as fast as she could, so she could take him out. By the next year, if not now, he would have at least one horcrux. He would start gaining more followers and raising to his glory, but as fast as he rose, he would fall as fast. She would savor every moment of it.

Draco almost choked on his saliva, as he stared at the time-traveler with a bewildered look. _Hermione? Slytherin?_ He wanted to laugh – a mudblood in Slytherin. Besides, she didn't have the characteristics to be one. She was a true lioness, who would bravely (or stupidly, as Draco would say) sacrifice herself for her friends and fight the Dark Lord. She definitely belonged in Gryffindor.

He definitely expected the professor to say "no", there was no way he'd place his beloved Gryffindor student into the snake pit.

After a few minutes of contemplating, Dumbledore nodded in agreement, even though he could feel annoyance rising in him.

"Very well, Hermione. Your request is granted."

Hermione could only smile in his response, as she started formulating plans in her head. She was a lioness, going to the snake pit willingly.

* * *

 _Hey guys! I hope that you like the new chapter. Writing is getting easier and easier, and I'm really enjoying it. What do you think of the new chapter? What would you suggest to improve?_


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